Naruto: From Extra to Savior

The information that shocked Mizuki actually came from something he had long cast aside, buried deep in his memory like a forgotten relic. More than two months ago, during his battle against Suigetsu Hozuki, he had used the Sealing Technique to collect part of Suigetsu's body after Suigetsu transformed it using his Water-Body Technique.

After obtaining this object, Mizuki found it completely inert. As for how Suigetsu reacted after having part of his Water-Body taken away, no one knew. But on Mizuki's side, it remained nothing more than a puddle of dead water. He couldn't make heads or tails of its state at all. Was this the intended effect of the Secret Technique, or was it caused by the sealing method? Without comparison and lacking any clue, Mizuki never considered it important.

However, according to Tsubaki's research data, apparently something significant had changed.

"Does this world even have a single reliable truth? Can something really grow out of just a puddle?"

Such an unreasonable world completely shattered Mizuki's worldview—he was someone who always believed knowledge was power.

Mizuki clearly remembered that back then, even after Suigetsu Hozuki had part of his Water-Body sealed, upon returning to his human form, he hadn't lost any limbs or suffered visible injuries. Although his physical condition seemed quite poor, there didn't appear to be any life-threatening wounds.

When Mizuki returned to Konoha, he had once been very curious about this sealed puddle, wanting desperately to understand exactly what this Water-Body Technique was. However, after some time, he discovered that this thing was indeed ordinary water, indistinguishable in both form and properties from naturally occurring water.

The only reason he hadn't discarded it was merely out of habit—to keep a sample for future reference. Never did he imagine that something over a month later, this forgotten puddle would actually undergo a transformation.

"It's hard to make an accurate judgment without seeing it with my own eyes..."

Although the report mentioned unusual activity, it wasn't anything like what Mizuki had imagined—like forming parts of a human body—or even biological tissue for that matter. It was simply a cluster of what appeared to be viable cells. Yet its exact state remained unknown.

"What caused this change?"

Mizuki carefully reviewed every detail regarding recent handling of the sample, attempting to find anything unusual.

"This must be the only abnormal factor."

For a puddle that had previously shown no reactions whatsoever, the only remarkable event occurred when he added those cell-stimulating pills whose proper usage he'd never previously found. That was when the real transformation began. After being stimulated with Tsubaki's Water Nature Transformation chakra, the reaction became increasingly intense, ultimately altering the entire form.

"A dual stimulation from pills and chakra?"

Back when Suigetsu Hozuki escaped using his Water-Body Technique, Aoba Yamashiro's Fire Release couldn't harm him. However, when Mizuki hurled the cell-stimulating pills at Suigetsu, they seemed to inflict significant damage. Unfortunately, since Suigetsu managed to escape, Mizuki never learned their full effects.

Mizuki silently pondered all possible explanations.

Secret techniques are somewhat different from Kekkei Genkai. For example, when combined with the Family of Suigetsu Hozuki's inherited physical traits, one can become an excellent practitioner of the Hydrification Technique. However, this doesn't mean that someone without the Hozuki bloodline can't use it at all—it's simply extremely difficult, much like how the Yamanaka clan's Spirit Transformation Technique functions. In contrast, true Kekkei Genkai, such as the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, cannot be developed without the corresponding bloodline, no matter what one does. As for Kekkei Genkai formed through dual chakra nature transformations, these traits manifest within the body's genetic code, passing those superior characteristics on to the next generation—such as Ice Release.

Of course, Mizuki, whose chakra is primarily of the Fire Attribute, stands almost no chance of mastering such a water-based secret technique. Though truth be told, he isn't particularly interested in learning it anyway. What Mizuki wants to understand is the deeper implications behind such techniques.

From what Mizuki knows, aside from the Hydrification Technique, there is also another remarkable technique known as the [Reanimation of Lifeless Matter Jutsu]—a powerful ninjutsu that uses natural energy to infuse inanimate objects with life and control them. If Mizuki remembers correctly, that's essentially how it works. The notion that natural energy can grant life isn't something worth questioning—otherwise, Sage Mode wouldn't be so formidable. However, when Kabuto Yakushi used this technique, he was in Snake Sage Mode, making it a Sage Art. It's hard to imagine the Hozuki clan's Hydrification Technique possessing such overwhelming power; it certainly couldn't be classified as a Sage Art, or else Mizuki wouldn't have survived the Land of Waves. Yet exactly what hydrification truly is still puzzles Mizuki. He had thought about this issue thoroughly before but never found any answers.

"Still, this kind of secret technique probably isn't entirely unique either—Konoha has similar techniques…"

What Mizuki thought of was the Spirit Transformation Technique. This was an even more extraordinary secret technique than the Hydrification Technique—capable of completely defying the theory of relativity. Turning a person into a soul-like form might seem wondrous enough to ordinary people, who would likely just marvel at the strange powers of secret techniques. But that wasn't what impressed Mizuki.

"If an adult human's mass were converted entirely into energy according to relativistic principles, just how much force would that produce? Using the Spirit Transformation Technique once would be equivalent to detonating a super nuclear bomb. Since such situations don't actually happen, there are only two possibilities: Either relativity doesn't apply in the ninja world… Or…"

"Could it be that spirits aren't energy, but rather some tangible substance I don't yet understand?"

Mizuki steadied his mind, reining back thoughts that had wandered too far. Once again, he focused on analyzing the reasons behind Suigetsu Hozuki's condition.

"I was careless, too distracted by the Chunin Exams. I haven't utilized available resources effectively enough…"

Mizuki once again felt troubled by the lack of personnel at his disposal.

"Tsubaki is trustworthy enough to serve as temporary backup, but she can't offer much help in this area. Her talent lies more in chakra control and ninjutsu."

[Cell-Stimulating Pills] were one of Mizuki's earliest research achievements. They showed promising results during experiments on lower life forms and single-celled organisms, significantly accelerating cell division. This property enables rapid microbial proliferation while also causing swift disintegration in more advanced organisms, compromising their tissue integrity. Its reaction somewhat resembles the [Life-Saving Pill], yet produces completely opposite effects. Therefore, aside from some auxiliary applications, Mizuki primarily viewed [Cell-Stimulating Pills] as an extremely potent toxin. Until the [Reverse Aging Pill]—the most miraculous pill Mizuki envisioned for pairing with [Cell-Stimulating Pills]—was successfully extracted, they always remained in an overlooked position. He never expected them to reveal their value under these circumstances.

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